1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus for catching bugs and more particularly to an apparatus that will impale and slay bugs that walk, hop or crawl.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is nowhere in the world that one can live and totally and completely avoid the presence of bugs. New York has the cockroach, California the palmetto bug and date beetle and the Southwest the scorpion and tarantula. Every area of the world has a plethora of other bugs too big and ugly to step on or pick up and remove and too small to shoot. Chemical eradication is hampered by pollution laws and fears of toxic waste. One solution aimed at assisting the home owner or renter is a new and effective hand tool that will instantaneously dispatch the unwanted critter and allow his dirty, germ filled carcass to be carried to the trash barrel or toilet bowl and with a flick of the wrist be deposited without further ado.
A number of U.S. Patents have been issued for devices that are hand held and operate without electrical current for lights, shocking devices or fume dispensing gases. Many of these Patents are related to devices for swatting flying insects. The invention about to be described would be relatively ineffective for swatting flying bugs or insects in that the air ahead of the paddle would tend to warn the insect, who could then easily escape. U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,146 issued Sep. 16, 1975 to Ralston discloses a fly swatter that is nothing more than a pocket size tube containing a plurality of strikers which join and pivot at one end and expand into a fan like structure to swat flies. U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,828 issued Jan. 6, 1981 to Schurger et al. shows a conventional looking fly swatter with a recess in the handle to accommodate a tweezers like tool for picking up dead flies. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 266,689 issued Oct. 26, 1982 to Seidel shows a fly swatter with an ornamental design that resembles a fly on the working end of the handle. A novelty and entertaining device that simulates the smashing of a fly or other insect is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,967 issued Oct. 1, 1991 to Slatter et al.. U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,018 issued May 4, 1993 to Reaver et al. shows a combination fly swatter and insect trap where the instrument contains an aperture that is placed around the insect and a housing over the aperture allows the insect to be captured by a slidable panel which seals the aperture.
The prior art of which Applicants are apprised fails to show any type, style or design of hand tool for catching and eradicating bugs that is similar to or even suggestive of the tool described and claimed herein.